Surfaces which are regularly contacted by organic matter, such as foodstuff, oils, sebum from skin contact, are often prone to contamination by microbes. Such surfaces are often treated or cleaned using antimicrobial compositions, in order to reduce or eliminate such microbes. To provide meaningful antimicrobial benefits, these antimicrobial compositions are ideally fast acting and ideally have broad spectrum activity. That is, efficacy over a broad range of microbes. In order to achieve fast acting, broad efficacy, antimicrobial compositions typically comprise high levels of antimicrobial actives. As such, they typically leave a residue which reduces surface shine and can give the impression that the surface has not been well cleaned. In addition, such compositions are often less suitable for use on surfaces that are in contact with food.
Therefore, a need remains for a fast acting and broad spectrum antimicrobial composition which does not reduce surface shine and does not leave visible residues on the surface, while also preferably being suitable for surfaces which contact food.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,648,027 B relates to a cleaning composition for sanitizing and/or disinfecting hard surfaces, comprising: a cationic biocide, surfactant and low levels of VOC solvents. GB2318585 A relates to an aqueous based cleaning compositions which include one or more quaternary amine compounds as disinfecting active agents, an organic solvent system which includes glycol mono-n-butyl ether or a binary system including a glycol ether with a linear primary alcohol, and either one or more betaines, or one or more amine oxides as a surfactant constituent. EP 0691397 A relates to an aqueous, antimicrobial hard surface cleaner comprising: a C1-6 alkanol or C3-24 alkylene glycol ether; surfactant selected from amphoteric, nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; quaternary ammonium surfactant; builder; and water. GB 2353044 B relates to aaqueous based cleaning compositions which comprise a quaternary ammonium surfactant compound having germicidal properties; an amine oxide, a surfactant selected from carboxylates and N-acyl amino acid surfactants; a glycol ether solvent; an alcohol, an alkalizing agent such as an alkylamine; and water. WO 2017/112425 relates to compositions containing an amide, products incorporating the compositions, and methods of using the compositions and products. WO 99/35227 A relates to aqueous detergent compositions, preferably hard surface cleaning compositions, which contain alkyl aryl sulfonate surfactant, selected hydrophobic cleaning solvent, polycarboxylic acid, and aqueous solvent system in solution and/or a micellar phase, the pH being from about 2 to about 4. WO 99/19441 A1 relates to a cleaning and disinfecting composition, said composition comprising a surfactant system comprising from 0.01% to 10% by weight of an amine oxide, from 0.01% to 20% by weight of a short chain alkyl sulphate surfactant, and from 0.01% to 20% by weight of a long chain alkyl sulphate surfactant.